Chapter
10: About
Prahlâda,
the Best Among the Exalted Devotees and the Fall of Tripura

(1)Nârada Muni said: 'Prahlâda, even though he was but a
small
boy, considered every blessing that
came with his bhakti yoga an impediment on the path and this he with a smile told the Lord of the Senses.

(2)S'rî Prahlâda said: 'Please do not allure
me.
Because of myAsurabirth I have a propensity for
lusting over
all those material blessings. It was out of fear for such material
association that I, desiring liberation, for the sake of complete
detachment have taken to Your shelter.(3) Oh Lord
You send Your devoted servant into
this
world of desire in order to put
his character to a test, for this
lust being the root cause of one's
wandering around here, is
found in the heart of everyone oh Master. (4)It
does not work differently
with You oh guru of the universe
so kind to everyone, for is someone who desires any material benefits,
not more a merchant than a servitor [see also B.G. 17:
20]? (5)Someone who for himself
expects material benefits from his spiritual master
is not really a servant nor is the master really of service who - for
his
own prestige - wants to bestow material benefits upon his servant [see
also 10.88: 8-10].(6)There is, as
far as I am concerned in my full devotion for You, no
question whatsoever of any desire nor do You as a real
master foster any
further motive for our sake like a king might have with his
subject.(7)And if You want to fulfill one of
my desires, then
I pray for Your benediction, oh Lord of All
Blessings, that no desire for any form of material happiness will grow
in my
heart [see also S'rî
S'rî
S'ikshâshthaka
verse
four].(8)From
the day of one's birth one's senses, mind, life air and body,
one's
religion, patience, intelligence, shyness, opulence, strength,
memory and truthfulness are likely to be banished by them.(9) Only
when
one
gives
up all the desires that one in one's human association
finds in one's mind, one is fit for an opulence equal to Yours, oh
Lotus-eyed Lord. (10)Oh
Master of all Opulences, oh Original
Personality, oh Lord in the
form of Nrisimha, oh Supreme
One, oh Absolute Truth, oh Great
Soul and Soul of all souls, let
me
offer You my respectful obeisances.' (11)The
Supreme Lord
said: 'Those persons who like you are exclusively devoted to Me do not desire any benedictions from
Me
in
this world or in the next. Nevertheless you may until
the end of Manu's reign enjoy
all the opulences of
theDaityarule out here[see also 2.3:
10]. (12) Devote yourself to My pleasing stories, be
absorbed in Me who resides in your heart as
the One present within all living beings,
worship in [yoga] uniting your consciousness the Lord who is the
enjoyer of all sacrifices
and give up your fruitive activities. (13)By
relishing [your retirement
in]
exhausting your merit, by means of pious actions forsaking your
impiety, by forsaking the body with the rapid progress of time and
after spreading your reputation throughout even the worlds of the gods,
you will, freed from all attachment, turn back to Me.(14) Anyone
who
chants
these prayers you offered
to Me, any human being who remembers both Me and you, will in
due course of time become free from the bondage of his karma [see B.G. 4:
9, 6:
7, 9:
27-28, 12:
3-4 and see also 11.14: 21].'

(15-17)S'rî Prahlâda said: 'I pray for the
following
benediction of You, oh Lord of Benedictions, oh Supreme Controller. My
father, not
knowing Your strength and supremacy, had because of a heart polluted by
anger a false notion of You oh master and guru of all worlds. He
considered You
the murderer of his brother and condemned You. Thus he was towards me, Your devotee, of the greatest sin. May my
father be purified from that greatest and most
difficult to overcome sin, even though he was immediately purified when
You
cast Your glance upon him, oh Father full of mercy for the
materialists.'

(18)The
Supreme Lord
said: 'With the purification of your father,twenty-one of your
forefathers in total have been
purified
oh
sinless
one.
Because
you,
oh
saintly
boy,
took
your
birth
from
him in this dynasty, you are indeed
the purifier of the dynasty.(19)Wherever
and
whenever
there
are
My
devotees
who
full
of
peace
and
equipoise,
with the best qualities are equally graceful towards all, everyone will
be purified, even when it concerns the worst of societies. (20)They
will never, in whatever
way, act violently towards all the higher or
lower living beings oh King of the Daityas, because they, in
their love for Me,
have forsaken all material aspirations.(21)Persons
in
this world
following in your footsteps become My pure devotees. You are of My
devotees truly the best example [see
also 6.3: 20-21].(22)My
child, you should now perform
the
funeral
rites
for
your
father
who
in
every
respect
was
purified
by
the touch of My body and therefore will be promoted to
the worlds of the good people.(23) Assume the throne of your father My dearest, fix your mind upon Me and do your duty for My supreme causethe
way it is prescribed in the Vedic tradition.'

(24)S'rî
Nârada
said:
'Prahlâda
performed, as was ordered by the Supreme Lord, all
the rituals associated with his father's death oh King
[Yudhishthhira] and was crowned by the brahmins.(25)Brahmâ
who
had witnessed what
had happened, with a face
radiating because
the Lord was pleased, offered with transcendental words the purest
prayers to Lord
Nrisimha, addressing Him in the
presence of all the other gods.(26) S'rî
Brahmâ
said: 'Oh God of
gods, oh proprietor of the entire universe, oh love of all creation, oh
first
among the living beings, because of Your resolve [to protect the
devotees] the most sinful Asura, who
was of so much trouble to everyone, has been killed. (27) I granted him the rare
benediction that he would not be killed by any creature created by me
and that he would not die because of any austerity, mystical or
physical
power. Thus being very proud he transgressed all injunctions. (28)Because
of
Your
decision
his
son,
who
despite
his
young
age
was a great saint and exalted devotee,
has been released from the clutches of death and enjoys now, as You
wanted, Your shelter.(29) For
all those who, faced with an enemy, meditate upon this physical
presence of You, the Supersoul, oh omnipresent, almighty Lord, You are
the
protector against all kinds of fear, including even the fear of death.'

(30) The Supreme Lord replied: 'Do
not bestow blessings on demons,
as you have done, oh you who
were born from the lotus. To bless people of a cruel and pitiless
nature is like giving milk to
snakes.'

(31)S'rî
Nârada
said:
'This
oh King, is what the Supreme Lord said and after Hari
had been
worshiped by the teacher of all teachers, He who cannot be seen by all
living beings disappeared from the spot.(32)Prahlâda
thereupon
bowed his head and offered with prayers his obeisances to
Lord Brahmâ, Lord S'iva, the founding fathers and
the [other] demigods who each are part of the Supreme Lord.(33)Next
Lord Brahmâ
together with
S'ukrâcârya and other sages, appointed him ruler over all
the Daityas and Dânavas.(34) Oh King, after Brahmâ and the
others were properly honored, all the godly ones congratulated him,
wished him all the best and then returned to their respective abodes. (35)The
two associates [the
gatekeepers] of Vishnu who were born as the sons of Diti and operated
as His enemies, were thus killed by Him, the Lord
residing in the core of the heart [see 7.1:
36-39].(36)Being
cursed by the brahmins the two were
reborn as the demons Kumbhakarna
and ten-head Râvana and again both killed [by Him] thanks to the
special
powers of Lord Râmacandra.(37)Slain
laying on the
battlefield with their hearts pierced by Râma's arrows, they with their minds fixed on Him gave up their bodies, just as
they did in
their previous birth. (38) The
two
again
appearing
in
this
world
with
their
births as S'is'upâla and Dantavakra were the same way bound to the Lord in
enmity and merged
with Him [for the last time] in your presence. (39)All
the kings
inimical to S'ri Krishna were, upon their death, freed from the burden
of the sins of their previous life upon reaching His Self, just like
larvae
that obtain a body identical to the one of the drone that guarded them.(40)Just
as one by
devotional service returns to the Supreme Personality, kings like S'is'upâla returned home and
attained the same supreme nature of the Lord by contemplating Him [in
their enmity, see also B.G. 4:
9].(41)All
of this I described to you in
reply to your inquiry on how, even hating, the son of Damaghosha
[S'is'upâla] and others could attain the same community of
essence [see 7.1:
34-35].(42)In
this narration about
the Supersoul
and the Godhead of all brahmins, Krishna I spoke about His
incarnations
in which He e.g. put an end to the Daityas.(43-44)It describes the character of the devotion,
spiritual knowledge and renunciation of that most
exalted devotee Prahlâda. Try
to
understand
each
of
these
stories
and
thus
discover
what
belongs
to the Lord, the Master of
maintenance, creation and destruction, what His qualities and
activities are, the wisdom handed down [in disciplic
succession] and how He, by the time factor, stands for the finality of
all the higher and lower living beings and their cultures, however
great they might be.(45) With the help of this narration, in which
the
transcendence is perfectly and fully described, one can get to know the
Fortunate One and what the bhâgavata dharma [see 7.6:
28], the way of the
devotees, entails.(46)Anyone
who
after
hearing
this
pious
narration
describing
the
Supreme
Power
of Vishnu, repeats
it or sings about it with faith,
will be liberated from being
entangled in fruitive actions.(47)He
who with great
attention reads and listens to this story about the activities of the
best
of all the truthful ones, thisDaityason and how the
Original
Personality playing the part of the lion king killed the king of the
demons who was as strong as an elephant, will attain the spiritual
world
where one has nothing to fear.(48)Oh
you [Pândavas] in your
human world, are extremely fortunate, for the Supreme One of the Absolute Truth, He who is always sought by the great saints who purify all the worlds, resides
in
your house in a human
form. (49)He is the Brahman of the Absolute
Truth all the great ones
are searching for. He, who is factually your nephew [the son of
your maternal uncle], He your most dear well-wisher, is the oneness of
transcendental happiness and the source of all life. He who is there
also as
your guru of instruction in the principle, is the One who can be
worshiped as the completeness of the [body, the universe and the]
soul.(50)Lord
S'iva, Lord Brahmâ
and others could not even by
meditation directly see Him or describe
Him in His real form. May He, this great master of all devotees,
be pleased with the silence we observe, with our devotion, our calm and
our worship.(51)Oh
King, this very same Supreme
Lord a long time ago restored the reputation of the demigod Lord
S'iva that was ruined by a demon called Maya Dânava who, because of great
technical cunning, enjoyed an unparalleled power.'

(52)The king [Yudhishthhira]said: 'Please can you tell us for what reason and by what
actions
Lord S'iva, he who controls the entire universe, was surpassed by Maya
Dânava and how he with the help of Krishna restored his
reputation?'

(53)Nârada
said:
'After
all
the
Asuras
by
the
God-conscious
ones
with
the
support
of
the Lord were
defeated in battle, they took shelter of the greatest and best of them
all,
Maya Dânava.(54-55)The
demon constructed three
big and mighty cities made of gold, silver and iron. Possessing the
uncommon ability to move [floating] around in formation they were
difficult to discern. Thus
hidden from view the Asuras, remembering their former enmity with
the three worlds and their controllers oh ruler of man, started to
wreak havoc in the world.(56)Thereupon
the
rulers
of
all
the
worlds
approached
Lord
S'iva,
fell
at his feet in surrender
and said: 'Please save us, your followers oh Godhead, for we have been
devastated by the tripura [three-city]
people.'(57) To show them his favor the
All-powerful Lord said to the Suras: 'Do not fear' and fixed an arrow
on
his bow to launch his weapon on the cities. (58)After
being
released his arrows shone with a beam of light as bright as the sun, so that the cities no longer
could be seen.(59)Under
their attack the inhabitants
of the cities fell lifeless to the ground. The great yogi Maya
Dânava
then dipped them one after the other
in a well of [life giving] nectar [called mrita-sanjîvayitari].(60)Touched
by
the
divine
nectar,
they
rose
from
death
as
strong as thunderbolts
splitting
the sky with flashes of light.(61)Seeing
how disappointed and unhappy [S'iva] the Emblem of the Lord was at the
time, the Almighty Lord Vishnu considered what measures should be taken.(62)Lord
Vishnu then personally assumed the form of a cow while Lord Brahmâ assumed the form
of a calf and together they entered in broad
daylight Tripura to drink all the nectar of the well.(63) Even though the Asuras took notice of
them they could, in their bewilderment, not stop them. The
great yogi Maya aware of what happened, thought it was a thing of
divine ordinance and so he addressed the ones guarding the well who had
been quite content
with their illusion [of victory] but were now greatly dismayed. (64)'Neither
demigods,
demons,
human
beings,
nor
anybody
else
can
reverse
whatfor oneself,
for others or for everyone in this world is ordainedby fate.'(65-66)He [Lord Vishnu] thereafter equiped Lord
S'iva with all that was necessary like
a
chariot
and
charioteer,
a
flag,
horses
and
elephants,
a
bow with shield and arrows
and such; all matters that
derived their strength from His personal dharma,
spiritual knowledge, detachment, opulence, penance, culture, actions
and so on. S'iva seated on his chariot then fixed an arrow on his bow. (67) Oh ruler of man, with the arrows joined
on his bow Lord S'iva thus being the Master and Controller, at noon set
the so difficult to pierce three cities afire. (68)All
the gods
and saints, the ancestors, the perfected ones and the great
personalities, then from their
celestial chariots
in the sky and with the
assistance of countless kettledrums loudly vibrated
'Jaya, Jaya',
while they showered a wealth of flowers on his head and
together with the beauties of
heaven danced and sang in great
ecstacy.(69) Oh King, after the mighty Lord S'iva
who had burned Tripura to
ashes thus was glorified
by Lord Brahmâ and the others, he returned to his abode. (70)What
more can I tell you about the Lord,
the teacher of the universe, who with His transcendental potency
appears
in the world of the human beings where He in the form of a normal human
being performs heroic acts that are discussed by the saints and sages
in narrations that purify all the worlds?'

Third revised
edition, loaded April 3, 2012.

Previous
Aadhar
edition
and
Vedabase
links:

Text
1

Nârada Muni
said: 'Prahlâda, even though he was but a
small
boy, considered every blessing that
came with his bhakti yoga an impediment on the path and this he with a smile told the Lord of the Senses.

Nârada Muni said: 'Although small considered he
[Prahlâda] each and every one of the blessings that came with his
bhakti yoga as impediments on the path and made he sure to tell the
Lord of the Senses that with a smile. (Vedabase)

Text
2

S'rî
Prahlâda
said:
'Please do not allure me. Because of myAsurabirth
I have a propensity for lusting over
all those material blessings. It was out of fear for such material
association that I, desiring liberation, for the sake of complete
detachment have taken to Your shelter.

S'rî Prahlâda said: 'Please do not allure
me,
because of my asura birth I have a propensity for lusting over all
those material blessings. It was of being afraid of such material
association that, desiring liberation, for the sake of complete
detachment I have taken to the shelter of You. (Vedabase)

Text
3

Oh Lord You send Your
devoted
servant into this
world of desire in order to put
his character to a test, for this
lust being the root cause of one's wandering around here, is
found in the heart of everyone oh Master.

So that I may behave as a pure devotee has Your
lordship
sent me into this world of lust, the lust that as the root cause of
being present here is found in the heart of everyone o Master. (Vedabase)

Text
4

It does not
work
differently with You oh
guru of the universe so kind to everyone, for is someone who desires
any material benefits, not more a merchant than a servitor [see also
B.G. 17:
20]?

Otherwise such a thing could not happen of You, o guru
of
all; anyone who from You, the soul of friendliness, desires any
material benefits, would such a person indeed not be a merchant instead
of a servitor [see also B.G. 17:20]? (Vedabase)

Text
5

Someone
who
for
himself expects material benefits from his spiritual master
is not really a servant nor is the master really of service who - for
his
own prestige - wants to bestow material benefits upon his servant[see
also 10.88:
8-10].

A person for himself desiring material benefits from
his
spiritual master is not really a servant nor is the master really of
service who for his own prestige desires to bestow material profits
upon his servant [see also 10.88.8-10]. (Vedabase)

Text
6

There
is,
as
far
as I am concerned in my full devotion for You, no
question whatsoever of any desire nor do You as a real
master foster any
further motive for our sake like a king might have with his
subject.

As for me is there, fully devoted to You, surely no
question
of any desire and also do You, in our relating, as the real master,
have no further motives such as one finds with a king and his subject. (Vedabase)

Text
7

And if You want to fulfill one of my desires,
then I pray for Your benediction, oh Lord of All
Blessings, that no desire for any form of material happiness will grow
in my
heart[see also S'rî
S'rî
S'ikshâshthaka
verse
four].

If You want to give me anything to my desire for a
blessing,
then I pray for the benediction from You, o Lord of All Blessings, that
no desire for any material happiness will grow in my heart [see also:
Siksâstaka verse four]. (Vedabase)

Text
8

From the day of
one's birth one's senses, mind, life air and body, one's
religion, patience, intelligence, shyness, opulence, strength,
memory and truthfulness are likely to be banished by them.

From one's very birth on are the senses, the mind, the
life-air, the body, the religion, one's patience, intelligence,
shyness, opulence, strength, memory and truthfulness overrun by lusty
desires. (Vedabase)

Text
9

Only
when
one
gives
up all the desires that one in one's human association
finds in one's mind, one is fit for an opulence equal to Yours, oh
Lotus-eyed Lord.

Only indeed when one gives up all the desires that one
of
human association finds in one's mind is one fit for an opulence equal
to that of You, o Lotus-eyed Lord. (Vedabase)

Text
10

Oh Master of all Opulences, oh Original
Personality, oh Lord in the
form of Nrisimha, oh Supreme
One, oh Absolute Truth, oh Great
Soul and Soul of all souls, let
me
offer You my respectful obeisances.'

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You, o
Supreme
Lord, o Original Personality; all my respects for You as the Great
Soul, the Lord in the form of Nrisimha, the Brahman, the Supersoul.' (Vedabase)

Text
11

The Supreme Lord
said: 'Those persons who like you are exclusively devoted to Me do not desire any benedictions from Me in
this world or in the next. Nevertheless you may until
the
end
of
Manu's
reign
enjoy
all the opulences of
theDaityarule out here[see also 2.3:
10].

The Supreme Lord said: 'Unalloyed from Me towards Me,
not
intent on any benedictions in this world nor in the next, is it all the
devoted like you nevertheless till the end of Manu's reign given to
enjoy all the material wealth of the daitya rule out here [see also
2.3.10]. (Vedabase)

Text
12

Devote
yourself
to My pleasing stories, be absorbed in Me who resides in your heart as
the One present within all living beings,
worship in [yoga] uniting your consciousness the Lord who is the
enjoyer of all sacrifices
and give up your fruitive activities.

Always ponder over my stories; being absorbed in Me as
existing within you as the One within all living beings, will give you
the greatest pleasure; worship with bhakti yoga the Lord that is the
enjoyer of all sacrifices and give up your fruitive activities. (Vedabase)

Text
13

By relishing
[your retirement in] exhausting your merit, by means of pious actions
forsaking your impiety, by forsaking the body with the rapid progress
of time and after spreading your reputation throughout even the worlds
of the gods, you will, freed from all attachment, turn back to Me.

With the wealth be pious, by such devoted action are
all
kinds of reactions overcome. Forced by the time giving up your vehicle
of time will your reputation of transcendence spread all over the
universe, be sung in the highest spheres and will you, freed from all
bondage, return back to Me. (Vedabase)

Text
14

Anyone who chants
these prayers you offered
to Me, any human being who remembers both Me and you, will in
due course of time become free from the bondage of his karma[see B.G. 4:
9, 6:
7, 9:
27-28, 12:
3-4 and see
also 11.14: 21].'

Anyone who chants these prayers offered to Me by you,
any
human being who remembers Me as well as you, will in due course of time
become free from the bondage of his karma [see B.G. 4: 9, 6: 7, 9:
27-28, 12: 3-4 and see also 11.14.21].' (Vedabase)

Text15-17

S'rî
Prahlâda
said:
'I
pray for the following benediction of You, oh Lord of
Benedictions, oh Supreme Controller. My father, not
knowing Your strength and supremacy, had because of a heart polluted by
anger a false notion of You oh master and guru of all worlds. He
considered You
the murderer of his brother and condemned You. Thus he was towards me, Your devotee, of the greatest sin. May my
father be purified from that greatest and most
difficult to overcome sin, even though he was immediately purified when
You
cast Your glance upon him, oh Father full of mercy for the
materialists.'

S'rî Prahlâda said: 'I pray for this
benediction
from You, o Lord of Benedictions, o Supreme Controller; my father, not
knowing of Your strength and supremacy, had with a heart polluted by
anger thus a false notion of You, o master and guru of all worlds, as
being the killer of his brother and was so of the greatest sin towards
me, Your devotee. May my father be purified from that greatest and most
difficult to overcome sin, although he was already purified when You
casted Your glance upon him, o Merciful Father to the Materialists.' (Vedabase)

Text18

The Supreme Lord
said: 'With the purification of your father,twenty-one of your
forefathers in total have
been
purified
oh
sinless one. Because you, oh
saintly boy, took your birth from him in this dynasty, you are indeed
the purifier of the dynasty.

The Supreme Lord said: 'All together twenty-one
forefathers have with your father been purified, o sinless one,
because, o saintly boy, the person of you has taken birth in the
dynasty. You indeed are the dynasty its purifier. (Vedabase)

Text19

Wherever
and
whenever there are My devotees who full of peace and equipoise,
with the best qualities are equally graceful towards all, everyone will
be purified, even when it concerns the worst of societies.

Wherever
and whenever there are my devotees so very peaceful and equipoised with
the best qualities and equally graceful towards all, is even the worst
of societies purified. (Vedabase)

Text20

They will never, in
whatever
way, act violently towards all the higher or
lower living beings oh
King of the Daityas, because they, in
their love for Me,
have forsaken all material aspirations.

In every
respect, towards all beings higher or lower, they are never of any
violence, o King of the daityas, because they out of their love for Me
have given up all material aspirations. (Vedabase)

Text21

Persons in this world
following in your footsteps become My pure devotees. You are of My
devotees truly the best example [see
also 6.3: 20-21].

Persons
in this world following in your footsteps become My pure devotees; of
all devotees of Mine are you indeed the best example of all the
different mellows [see also 6.3: 20-21]. (Vedabase)

Text22

My child, you should now perform
the funeral rites for your father who in every respect was purified by
the touch of My body and therefore will be promoted to
the worlds of the good people.

You
should perform the obsequies for your father, who already in all
respects was purified by My body touching him, my child, so that he
will be promoted to the worlds of better men. (Vedabase)

Text23

Assume the throne of
your
father My dearest, fix
your mind upon Me and do your duty for My
supreme causethe
way it is prescribed in the Vedic tradition.'

Also
assume the throne of your father as prescribed by vedic injunction; be
with your mind of full absorption in Me, my dearest, and do your duty
just for My supreme sake.' (Vedabase)

Text24

S'rî Nârada said:
'Prahlâda performed, as was ordered by the Supreme Lord, all
the rituals associated with his father's death oh King
[Yudhishthhira] and was crowned by the brahmins.

S'rî
Nârada
said:
'Prahlâda
as
was
commissioned
by
the
Supreme
Lord
performed
all
the
necessary
functions to his fathers death, o King
[Yudhishthhira], and was crowned by the brahmins present. (Vedabase)

Text25

Brahmâ who had witnessed what
had happened, with a face
radiating because
the Lord was pleased, offered with transcendental words the purest
prayers to Lord
Nrisimha, addressing Him in the
presence of all the other gods.

With his
face lit of the Lord His grace did Lord Brahmâ who had witnessed
what had happened, offer with transcendental words the purest of
prayers unto Lord Nrisimha, addressing Him in the presence of all the
godly. (Vedabase)

Text26

S'rî
Brahmâ
said: 'Oh God of
gods, oh proprietor of the entire universe, oh love of all creation, oh
first
among the living beings, because of Your resolve [to protect the
devotees] the most sinful Asura, who
was of so much trouble to everyone, has been killed.

S'rî
Brahmâ
said:
'O
God
of
gods,
o
proprietor
of
the
whole
universe,
o
love
of all beings, o first among all the living, by your decision
has the most sinful asura of so much trouble to everyone been killed. (Vedabase)

Text27

I granted him the rare
benediction that he would not be killed by any creature created by me
and that he would not die because of any austerity, mystical or
physical
power. Thus being very proud he transgressed all injunctions.

That one
I have given the rare benediction of not to be killed by any creature
created by me nor by any austerity, mystic power, or physical power;
thus very proud he transgressed all injuctions. (Vedabase)

Text28

Because
of
Your
decision
his
son,
who despite his young age was a great saint and exalted devotee,
has been released from the clutches of death and enjoys now, as You
wanted, Your shelter.

By Your
decision has his son, although a child being a great saint and exalted
devotee, been released from the clutches of death and is he, as You
wanted it, now under Your shelter. (Vedabase)

Text29

For
all those who, faced with an enemy, meditate upon this physical
presence of You, the Supersoul, oh omnipresent, almighty Lord, You are
the
protector against all kinds of fear, including even the fear of death.'

For
those who confronted with an adversary meditate upon this physical
presence of Your Supersoul, o Supreme Lord all around, are You the
protector against all kinds of fear and even the fear of death.' (Vedabase)

Text30

The Supreme Lord replied: 'Do
not bestow blessings on demons,
as you have done, oh you who
were born from the lotus. To bless people of a cruel and pitiless
nature is like giving milk to
snakes.'

The
Supreme Lord replied: 'Do not, as you did, bestow benedictions upon
demons, o Meditator of the Lotus, to bless people of a cruel nature is
like giving milk to snakes.' (Vedabase)

Text31

S'rî Nârada said:
'This oh King, is what
the Supreme Lord said and after Hari
had been
worshiped by the teacher of all teachers, He who cannot be seen by all
living beings disappeared from the spot.

S'rî
Nârada
said:
'This
is
what
the
Supreme
Lord
said,
o
King,
after
which
Hari,
being worshiped by the 0ne from the beyond, from there for
all the ones alive disappeared out of sight. (Vedabase)

Text32

Prahlâda thereupon bowed his head and offered with
prayers his obeisances to
Lord
Brahmâ,
Lord
S'iva,
the
founding
fathers
and
the
[other]
demigods who each are part of the
Supreme Lord.

Thereafter
by
offering
prayers
worshiped
Prahlâda
bowing
his
head,
the
One
in
the
beyond
as
did also Lord S'iva, the leading fathers and the
demigods who each were parts of the Supreme Lord. (Vedabase)

Text33

Next Lord Brahmâ
together with
S'ukrâcârya and other sages, appointed him ruler over all
the Daityas and Dânavas.

Next
made S'ukrâcârya and others, with all the sages and the One
on the Lotus, him king of all the daityas and dânavas. (Vedabase)

Text34

Oh King, after Brahmâ
and the
others were properly honored, all the godly ones congratulated him,
wished him all the best and then returned to their respective abodes.

O
King, with Brahmâ and all the rest properly honored congratulated
thereafter all the godly him, wishing him all the best and returned
they to their respective abodes.(Vedabase)

Text35

The two associates [the
gatekeepers] of Vishnu who were born as the sons of Diti and operated
as His enemies, were thus killed by Him, the Lord
residing in the core of the heart [see 7.1:
36-39].

In this
way were the two associates of Vishnu, who forgetful as the sons of
Diti thought as enemies, both killed by the Lord residing in the core
of the heart [see 7.1:36]. (Vedabase)

Text36

Being cursed by the
brahmins
the two were reborn as the demons Kumbhakarna
and ten-head Râvana and again both killed [by Him] thanks to the
special
powers of Lord Râmacandra.

Again
being cursed by the brahmins were the two devils reborn as Kumbhakarna
and ten-head Râvana and were they both killed by the special
powers of Lord Râmacandra. (Vedabase)

Text37

Slain laying on the
battlefield with their hearts pierced by Râma's arrows, they with their minds fixed
on Him gave up their
bodies, just as they did in
their previous birth.

Slain
laying on the battlefield with their hearts pieced by Râma's
arrows, gave they their bodies up with their minds fixed on Him, just
as they did in their previous birth. (Vedabase)

Text38

The
two again appearing in this world with their
births as S'is'upâla and Dantavakra were
the same way bound to the Lord in
enmity and merged
with Him [for the last time] in your presence.

The two
this way reappearing out here, again took their births bound to the
Lord in enmity as Sisupâla and Dantavakra and merged with Him in
your presence. (Vedabase)

Text39

All
the kings
inimical to S'ri Krishna were, upon their death, freed from the burden
of the sins of their previous life upon reaching His Self, just like
larvae
that obtain a body identical to the one of the drone that guarded them.

Of this
kind of sinful action were there many kings who, just like larvae do
that are guarded by a drone, all gave up their lives in their ever
opposing Lord Krishna from what they did in their previous births. (Vedabase)

Text40

Just as one by
devotional service returns to
the Supreme Personality, kings like
S'is'upâla returned home and attained the same supreme nature of
the Lord by contemplating Him [in their enmity, see
also
B.G.
4:
9].

In their
devotion undivided unto the Supreme did kings like Sisupâla with
the same form as the Supreme Lord by constantly thinking of Him return
back to Godhead [see also B.G. 4:9]. (Vedabase)

Text41

All of this I described to you
in
reply to your inquiry on how, even hating, the son of Damaghosha
[S'is'upâla] and others could attain the same community of
essence [see 7.1:
34-35].

This all
I described to you in reply to your inquiry on how, even hating, the
son of Damaghosa [Sisupâla] and others could be of the same kind
of body [see 7.1: 34-35]. (Vedabase)

Text42

In this narration about
the Supersoul
and the Godhead of all brahmins, Krishna I
spoke
about
His incarnations
in which He e.g. put an end to the Daityas.

With all
this about the Supersoul and the God of all brahmins, Krishna, do you
now have the stories about His incarnations of purification wherein He
from the beginning defeated the daityas. (Vedabase)

Text43-44

It describes the character of
the devotion, spiritual knowledge and renunciation of that most
exalted devotee Prahlâda. Try to understand each of
these stories and thus discover what belongs to the Lord, the Master of
maintenance, creation and destruction, what His qualities and
activities are, the wisdom handed down [in disciplic
succession] and how He, by the time factor, stands for the finality of
all the higher and lower living beings and their cultures, however
great they might be.

They
deal with Prahlâda that most exalted devotee his characteristics
of devotion, spiritual knowledge and renunciation; try to understand
each of them and by this indeed know what is of the Lord, the Master of
maintenance, creation and destruction; what are His qualities and
activities, handed down wisdom and how He, by Time, is the finality of
all the higher and lower living beings and their cultures, however
great they might be. (Vedabase)

Text45

With the help of this
narration, in which the
transcendence is perfectly and fully described, one can get to know the
Fortunate One and what the bhâgavata dharma [see 7.6: 28], the way of the devotees, entails.

From
this narration, in which the transcendence without reservations is
perfectly described, one may understand the bhâgavata dharma [see
7.6: 28] and Bhagavân Himself. (Vedabase)

Text46

Anyone who after hearing
this
pious narration describing the Supreme Power of Vishnu, repeats it or sings about it with
faith, will be liberated from being
entangled in fruitive actions.

Anyone
who after hearing this pious narration describing the Supreme Power of
Vishnu, with faith repeats it, will be liberated from the entanglement
in fruitive labor. (Vedabase)

Text47

He who with great
attention reads and listens to this story about the activities of the
best
of all the truthful ones, thisDaityason and how the
Original
Personality playing the part of the lion king killed the king of the
demons who was as strong as an elephant, will attain the spiritual
world
where one has nothing to fear.

Anyone
who with great attention reads and hears this story about the
activities of the best of all the truthful, this daitya son, and how
the Original Personality playing for king lion killed the king of the
demons who was as strong as an elephant, will reach the spiritual world
where there is never ever any fear. (Vedabase)

Text48

Oh you [Pândavas]
in
your
human world, are extremely fortunate, for the
Supreme One of the Absolute Truth, He who is always sought by the great saints
who purify all the worlds, resides
in your house in a human
form.

All You
Pândava's in your human world are extremely fortunate that in
your house resides the Supreme One of the Absolute Truth appearing in a
human form, Who is able to purify all the worlds and is always sought
by the great saints. (Vedabase)

Text49

He is the Brahman of the
Absolute Truth all the great ones
are searching for. He, who is factually your nephew [the son of
your maternal uncle], He your most dear well-wisher, is the oneness of
transcendental happiness and the source of all life. He who is there
also as
your guru of instruction in the principle, is the One who can be
worshiped as the completeness of the [body, the universe and the]
soul.

[Also
you may be very happy] that He is this Impersonal Brahman that all the
great are searching for, the oneness of transcendental happiness, the
source of all life, your dear most well-wisher who is practically the
son of your maternal uncle, that He is worshipable in the complete of
His body and soul and that He is there as Your guru lead of principle
as well. (Vedabase)

Text50

Lord S'iva, Lord
Brahmâ
and others could not even by
meditation directly see Him or describe
Him in His real form. May He, this great master of all devotees,
be pleased with the silence we observe, with our devotion, our calm and
our worship.

Not even
by meditation could S'iva and Brahmâ and others directly envision
His form; may He this great protector of all His devotees be pleased
with the depth of our commitment, our devotion, our forsaking for the
better and our worship. (Vedabase)

Text51

Oh King, this very same
Supreme
Lord a long time ago restored the reputation of the demigod Lord
S'iva that was ruined by a demon called Maya Dânavawho, because of great
technical cunning, enjoyed an unparalleled power.'

That
same Supreme Lord, o King, long ago expanded to the lost reputation of
the divinity of S'iva because of a demon called Maya who had an
infinite power of technical cunning.' (Vedabase)

Text52

The king [Yudhishthhira]said:
'Please can you tell us for what reason and by what actions
Lord S'iva, he who controls the entire universe, was surpassed by Maya
[Dânava] and how he with the help of Krishna restored his
reputation?'

The king
[Yudhishthhira] said: 'Please describe for what reason and by what
actions Lord S'iva, he who controls the whole universe, was outdone by
Maya and how he with Krishna did regain his reputation?' (Vedabase)

Text53

Nârada
said:
'After all
the Asuras by the God-conscious ones with the support of the Lord were
defeated in battle, they took shelter of the greatest and best of them
all,
Maya Dânava.

Nârada
said:
'All
the
asuras
who
in
battle
by
the
power
of
the
Lord
were
defeated by the godly, took shelter of the greatest and best of them
all, Maya Dânava. (Vedabase)

Text54-55

The
demon constructed three
big and mighty cities made of gold, silver and iron. Possessing the
uncommon ability to move [floating] around in formation they were
difficult to discern. Thus
hidden from view the Asuras, remembering their former enmity with
the three worlds and their controllers oh ruler of man, started to
wreak havoc in the world.

He
constructed for them three huge cities, made of gold, silver and iron,
that were immensely great and of an uncommon traffic and of peculiar
specialties [they were reported to hover as airships over one another
in the sky]. Remembering their former enmity with all the three worlds
and their controllers, o ruler of man began the asuras out of their
sight to break up the order. (Vedabase)

Text56

Thereupon the rulers of all
the
worlds approached Lord S'iva, fell at his feet in surrender
and said: 'Please save us, your followers oh Godhead, for we have been
devastated by the tripura [three-city]
people.'

Thereupon
did
all
the
worlds
with
their
rulers
approach
Îsvara
S'iva,
falling
at
his
feet
in surrender saying: 'Please save us who are so
close to you, as we are frightened, o Godhead, we are verily smitten by
the tripura [three-city] peoples. (Vedabase)

Text57

To show them his favor the
All-powerful Lord said to the Suras: 'Do not fear' and fixed an arrow
on
his bow to launch his weapon on the cities.

To show
them his favor did the All-powerful Lord tell the sura's thus: 'Do not
fear', and fixed he an arrow on his bow releasing his weaponry on the
cities. (Vedabase)

Text58

After being
released his arrows shone with a beam of light
as bright as the sun, so that the cities no
longer
could be seen.

The
arrows after being released shone, as beams of light, brilliant as the
sun, because of which the cities could no longer be seen. (Vedabase)

Text59

Under their attack the
inhabitants
of the cities fell lifeless to the ground. The great yogi Maya
Dânava
then dipped them one after the other
in a well of [life giving] nectar [called mrita-sanjîvayitari].

From
that attack came they who used to inhabit the houses of the cities all
lifeless to a fall, but all of them were thanks to the great mystic
powers of Maya one by one dipped in a well of [life-giving] nectar
[called Mrta-sanjîvayitari]. (Vedabase)

Text60

Touched by the divine
nectar, they rose from death as strong as thunderbolts splitting
the sky with flashes of light.

Thus
touched by the all-potent nectar of the liquid, resurrected they strong
as thunderbolts, splitting the sky fiery like lightening. (Vedabase)

Text61

Seeing
how disappointed and unhappy [S'iva] the
Emblem
of
the Lord was at the
time, the Almighty Lord Vishnu considered what
measures
should
be
taken.

Seeing
how disappointed and unhappy the Emblem of the Lord [S'iva] was at the
time considered the Almighty Lord Vishnu the proper measures. (Vedabase)

Text62

Lord Vishnu then
personally assumed the form of a cow while Lord
Brahmâ assumed
the form
of a calf and together they entered in broad
daylight Tripura to drink all the nectar of the well.

Brahmâ
became
then
a
calf
and
with
Lord
Vishnu
Himself
as
a
cow
they
in clear
daylight entered tripura and drank all the nectar in the well. (Vedabase)

Text63

Even though the Asuras
took notice of
them they could, in their bewilderment, not stop them. The
great yogi Maya aware of what happened, thought it was a
thing of
divine ordinance and so he addressed the ones guarding the well who had
been quite content
with their illusion [of victory] but were now greatly dismayed.

Although
the asuras surely noticed them could they from their bewilderment not
forbid them and so did the great Mystic Maya who, fully aware of it,
thought that too to be of divine ordinance, address the ones on guard
who quite content in their illusion were in great dismay: (Vedabase)

Text64

'Neither demigods,
demons, human beings, nor
anybody else can reverse whatfor oneself,
for others or for everyone in this world is
ordainedby fate.'

'Demigods,
demons
and
human
beings
or
whomever
else
cannot
undo
what
by
God
out
here
would be anyone's, one's own or someone else's, destiny.' (Vedabase)

Text65-66

He [Lord Vishnu] thereafter equiped Lord
S'iva with all that was necessary like a
chariot and
charioteer, a flag, horses and elephants, a bow with shield and arrows
and such; all matters that derived their
strength from His personal dharma,
spiritual knowledge, detachment, opulence, penance, culture, actions
and so on. S'iva seated on his chariot then fixed an arrow on his bow.

Thereafter
did
He
[Lord
Vishnu]
from
His
personal
potencies
with
all
the
ingredients
that
constituted
the religion, the spiritual knowledge, the
renunciation, the opulence, the austerity, the education, the
activities and all of that, equip Lord S'iva with everything that was
required like a chariot and charioteer, a flag, horses and elephants, a
bow with shield and arrows and so on. Seated on his chariot he then
fixed an arrow on his bow. (Vedabase)

Text67

Oh ruler of man, with
the arrows joined
on his bow Lord S'iva thus being the Master and Controller, at noon set
the so difficult to pierce three cities afire.

O ruler
of man, with the arrows joined on his bow did S'iva as the Lord and
Controller this way by them at the time of noon set the so difficult to
pierce three cities afire. (Vedabase)

Text68

All the gods
and saints, the ancestors, the perfected ones and the great
personalities, then from
their celestial chariots
in the sky and with the
assistance of countless kettledrums loudly vibrated
'Jaya, Jaya',
while they showered a wealth of flowers on his head and
together with the
beauties of heaven danced
and sang in great ecstacy.

From
their celestial chariots in the sky vibrated, with the help of
countless kettle drums, the gods and saints, the ancestors, the
perfected and the great, 'Jaya, Jaya', as they showered a selection of
flowers over his head and chanted and danced in great pleasure with the
beauties of heaven. (Vedabase)

Text69

Oh King, after the
mighty Lord S'iva who had burned Tripura to
ashes thus was glorified by Lord
Brahmâ and the others, he returned to his abode.

O King,
the Mighty Lord S'iva who thus with the acclaim of Brahmâ and the
others had burnt Tripura to ashes, then returned to his own abode. (Vedabase)

Text70

What more can I tell you
about the Lord,
the teacher of the universe, who with His transcendental potency
appears
in the world of the human beings where He in the form of a normal human
being performs heroic acts that are discussed by the saints and sages
in narrations that purify all the worlds?'

This is
the way of the Lord His own potency: acting like an ordinary man within
the human society are there of Him, the teacher of the universe, the
narrations about His transcendental activities that, related by the
saintly people, purify all the worlds; what more should I tell you? (Vedabase)